By Ken Chaisson
Homeotown Weekly Sports Reporter
Following what could be considered the greatest athletic year in Walpole High School history in 2023-24, the bar has been set high for the town’s student-athletes.
Last school year, Walpole earned five state championships in field hockey (Division 1), boys cross country (Division 3), softball (Division 2), boys outdoor track (Division 3) and boys indoor track (Division 3). The school also reached the finals in football (Division 3), baseball (Division 2), girls lacrosse (Division 2) and girls golf (Division 1). Such achievements are remarkable for a school with only 946 students.
Another standout year for Walpole came in 1994, when the school won the Boston Globe’s Dalton Trophy, awarded to the Division 2 school with the best overall regular-season record.
This fall, Walpole’s teams didn’t rest on past successes and continued to deliver strong postseason performances across a variety of sports.
The football team finished 3-5 in the regular season but was seeded 10th in Division 3. In the playoffs, the Timberwolves defeated Hingham, 42-21, and Billerica, 35-14, before falling to Mansfield, 42-28, in the semifinals. They closed out their season with a dominant 35-12 win over Weymouth in the Thanksgiving Day rivalry game.
The Walpole cheer team won the Bay State League championship for the second consecutive year. They finished fourth at regionals, qualifying for the state competition, where they placed 10th in the Large School Coed Division.
The powerhouse field hockey team, nicknamed the Porkers, finished the regular season 17-0-1 and entered the Division 1 playoffs as the No. 2 seed. They defeated Marshfield (6-0), Acton-Boxborough (3-1), Franklin (3-0) and Winchester (3-0) before facing Andover in the finals for the fourth straight year. Walpole secured a commanding 2-0 victory, earning its second consecutive state title and 14th overall. The team finished ranked 32nd nationally in the MaxPreps poll.
The boys cross country team placed fifth at the Bay State Conference Championship. They advanced to the Division 2A sectionals, where a fourth-place finish qualified them for the state finals. At the state meet, the team finished fifth overall, with their top runner earning a medal and placing 15th individually.
The girls cross country team finished seventh at the Bay State Conference Championship but placed second in the Division 2A sectionals to qualify for states. At the state finals, they finished ninth, with their highest runner medaling and finishing seventh overall.
The boys swimming team had seven athletes qualify for sectionals. They earned two first-place finishes at sectionals, leading to six medals at the state meet.
The girls swimming team had five qualifiers for sectionals and finished the season with three medals at states.
The boys golf team placed seventh at the Bay State Conference Championship. One golfer advanced to the sectional tournament and the Division 1 Central state championship.
The volleyball team finished the regular season 7-11 and was seeded 17th in Division 2. They defeated North Quincy in the first round before falling to three-time state champion Westborough.
The girls soccer team finished the regular season 6-10-2, earning the No. 8 seed in Division 2. They defeated Silver Lake, 3-0, in the first round but lost a hard-fought match to Oliver Ames, 3-2, in the next round.
Congratulations to all of Walpole’s student-athletes on their hard work and achievements this season.
